Sixty Pairs of Hands: A Day in Our Terracotta Craft Studio

Our morning begins at 7:00 AM when natural clay is brought in from nearby riverbanks, sifted through fine cotton sieves to eliminate impurities, and kneaded with water until it reaches the consistency of soft dough.

Artisans sit in sunlit courtyards rolling beads one by one using fingertips. Geometric grooves are hand-etched using wooden needles before the beads are laid out on jute mats to sun-dry for 48 hours.

Once moisture evaporates, the beads undergo double kiln-firing in traditional wood-burning ovens at 850°C. This transforms soft grey clay into strong, terracotta-red earthenware.

The final magic happens during hand-painting. Natural pigment lacquers, metallic bronze dust, and pure gold leaf are applied with ultra-thin squirrel-hair brushes before stringing on hand-twisted cotton dori.